Down to Earth
by Reikajen
Summary: So that was supposed to be an OS for my entry for day 5 of the daily pepperony week 17: post CACW. People on Tumblr are asking me to continue it. I might do it and give you my point of view on how Pepper and Tony are getting back together between CACW and SMHC!
1. Chapter 1

_Hello guys,_

 _So that is supposed to be an OS for my entry for day 5 of the daily pepperony week 17: post CACW. People on Tumblr are asking me to continue it. I might do it and give you my point of view on how Pepper and Tony are getting back together between CACW and SMHC! What do you think?_

 _The one that are wondering for the fic "Last Kiss" don't worry, it is finished, I'm just waiting Robyn-in-the-air my beta reviewer to finish the last few chapters. She is having busy schedule and struggling a lot since few weeks as soon as she finishes a chapter, I'm posting it!_

 _As usual I don't own anything, and still unfortunately, haha. Hope you will like it! Please review, it makes the world to us, writer! Enjoy…_

 _ **Down to earth**_

Pepper was feeling a big knot in her chest when she parked her car in front of the Avengers compound that day. She had promised herself to not step one more foot in that building. But here she was, few weeks only after she spat to him " _Never again_ ". And he had said nothing. He had let her just leave. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes reminding herself that it was not about him and that she was here to see her friend. When the knot lightened a bit, she finally entered the compound. This compound that she knew far too well.

"Good morning, Miss Potts." the voice came from the balcony.

She looked up even though she knew very much the voice "Good morning, Jarv… I mean vision."

Vision smiled sadly to Pepper "Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked politely with his usual British phlegm.

"I came to visit the colonel James Rhodes." She explained.

"The lieutenant colonel Rhodes is currently in the exercise room in the basement," Vision indicated

"Thank you so much Vision," she said resuming her walk to the elevator before turning back to vision once again "Is _he_ in the compound?" she asked expecting Vision to understand who was the _he_ in her question.

"Mister Stark is in his office on the third floor, do you want me to…"

She cut him short quickly "No, no please! Don't mention to him that I'm here or that I came." She said it but she knew that Tony would eventually know that she was there thanks to any of the thousands camera that were in the building or easier by Friday herself. If she wanted to avoid him, she would have to run away now. But Pepper Potts was not the kind of girl to retrace her steps! The more upset of the two would have to leave and it wouldn't be her.

Vision nodded slowly "Fine."

"Thanks" she concluded while pushing the button of the elevator.

"Have a nice day, Miss Potts."

Her heart clenched one more time at the sound of Jarvis voice as she entered the elevator. Jarvis had just been an AI, but she had knew him since the first day she started to work for tony. When Tony had told her that Jarvis kind of died/transformed into a living entity, she had been very sad. It had been very hard to get used to not hearing him greeting her anymore when she entered the tower. And hearing his voice when Vision was talking was still a bit harsh on her. The ding of the elevator reaching his destination took her out of her reverie. Rhodey was there, back to her, trying to walk in between 2 metallic bar, with two high-tech prosthesis on his legs.

"Hello James," she said to announce herself, Rhodey turned immediately to her "Do you really think it is safe to do that alone?" she said with a smirk and a fake disapproving look.

"Pepper!" he exclaimed smiling, "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting an old friend," she said while coming closer to him.

When she reached him, he put her in his embrace and hugged her tightly with one arm, the other keeping him standing, "Pepper I'm so happy to see you." He said sincerely.

"I am too," she looked at him from head to toes "How are you doing? I heard about the battle," she said gesturing at his legs.

"Yeah, that." He sighed, "It is not as bad as it looks like" he joked smiling brightly at her.

She smiled back and offered him her arms "Come on, let's go to sit comfortably," she offered.

"Yes, I won't say no to that."

They walked slowly to the sofa that was on the side of the room. When they were both well sited, Pepper asked some questions on the battle, on his legs, on how it happened, on how he was feeling, on how was his moral but she carefully avoided any questions concerning Tony. Until, Rhodey did it himself.

"Are you gonna see _him_?" he asked.

She knew without asking who he was talking about, "I have no reason to do so." She stated flatly.

"Pepper," he started while stroking gently her forearm, "he has been badly injured in the battle too," her heart clenched at his words, but her face remained impassive, "I mean not only physically, but emotionally." He explained. She stayed silent. He grabbed her forearm that time to force her to look at him, "Pepper, look at me."

She turned and looked at him, her glassy eyes betraying her state of mind "What?!" she asked harsher than she intended to.

"I'm sorry Pepper," he apologized when hearing her tone "I didn't mean to force you or anything. But I know what you two represents to each other, and you know how Tony is! He will never admit that he needs you and he will rather suffer alone that come to you."

"So what am I supposed to do James?" she asked in disbelief, "Let go of all the problems? Let go of all my concerns, all his stupidity and just crawl at his feet because he is the great Tony Stark! The incredible Iron Man! And that he is not down enough to earth to come to apologize to me or to ask me for help?" she almost yelled the second part.

"No this is not what I meant at all," he defended himself raising a hand to make his point.

"Right, then enlighten me because I don't see what you mean." She spat.

"Pep, I'm sorry. You know what, you are absolutely right, just forget it. I don't have any rights to judge or say anything. I know you did your best and I didn't mean that it is your fault or anything. I don't ask you to lower your principle for him, I know that he doesn't deserve it all the time. It just makes me really sad to see my two best friends' tearing each other apart like that!"

She sighed deeply, "No, I am the one sorry James. I'm just yelling at you when I should be yelling at him. I know you want to do well, but I'm just fed up with his inanity."

"I know Pepper, and I really didn't mean to force your hand on anything," she smiled slightly at him in answer "and if you don't want to see him, you should leave now." He concluded. She looked at him puzzled. "He was with me to try the prosthesis, but he received some Fedex. He wanted to put me back to my room but I insisted to work out a bit by myself with them." He explained "He said he will be back to accompanied me to my room. He will probably be back soon to check on me. So you'd rather leave now." She nodded sadly. "I am really happy that you came Pepper, you know that it means a lot to me, especially with the last events and the situation with Tony."

"Don't thank me, please! You are my friend, and even if Tony and I are not doing well at the moment, it doesn't mean that I shouldn't be there for you."

He hugged her one more time, "You are a gem Pepper," he took her by the shoulder and looked at her in the eyes before she stood up "And Tony is a moron for letting you go!"

Pepper sighed and smiled at her friend "Thank you so much James."

He watched her as she quitted the gymnasium, the clinking of her heels resonating in the entire room. When the room became silent again, Rhodey just said flatly "You really are a moron!"

"Yeah, I know that already!" The voice of Tony came from the intercom.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello guys,_

 _So here we are for the second chapter ^^ I hope you will like it. Please don't mind the typo or grammar mistakes, I'm just a humble French that is trying to do her best to write in correct English :D If you see any big mistakes, please let me know. If any of you wants to become a beta reviewer for me and help me to correct my flaw in English, I'll be very happy._

 _As usual I don't own anything, and still unfortunately, haha. Hope you will like it! Please review, it makes the world to us, writer! Enjoy…_

 **Chapter 2**

"I knew you were listening!" Rhodey said to the ceiling "Go to talk to her before she leaves the building!" he ordered his friend.

"No, you heard her, I don't think she is really willing to see me right now,"

"Oh come on! Tony!" Rhodey implored his friend, "If none of you makes the first step, we will be good for another 10 years of waiting!"

"Thank you Hitch but I don't need any advice. I'm sure I can manage this myself"

"Whatever! For now, just manage to bring you ass here and help me back to my room. I'm tired; I would do well with some rest!" Rhodey was not convinced at all by his friend's skills in the matter but he knew that all conversation around it wouldn't be sterile and wouldn't lead to anything,

"On my way, date doctor!" Tony joked one more time. Rhodey shook his head from side to side, feeling hopeless for his two friends.

On the parking, Pepper just entered her car. She paused for few second, replaying the word of her friend in her mind. _He has been badly injured in the battle too_. _Not only physically, but emotionally_. She couldn't help it, she was worried for him. She cared for him for the past 18 years, she couldn't stop to care all a sudden in few weeks of being apart. For a second, she thought about going back there and talk to him. Just to see him. Just to make sure he was alright. Just to make sure he didn't need anything. She shook her head at this idea… _Need anything._ She chuckled at her own thought. She took a deep breath, started her car and left the compound.

From the window, Tony looked at her car leaving the compound. He sighed deeply. "What am I supposed to do?" he wondered out loud.

"Help lieutenant Colonel Rhodes to get to his room." Friday answered logically.

Tony smiled at his AI remarks, "Yeah you are right, thank you Friday, I'm going now."

"You are welcome Boss."

That night, Tony was lying on his bed in the compound, his eyes wide opened. He was gazing at the ceiling, not able to find sleep. His mind kept replaying the events of the past few weeks. From letting Pepper go to the betrayal of Rogers. What the hell was wrong with him and his decision lately? He had promised Pepper that he would stop all the Iron Man craziness and when he couldn't keep up with his promise, he had let her go, without fighting. And from then, everything went from worse to worse. She had told him one day that he couldn't tie his shoes without her! He had said he would make a week… He actually made 6 of them but at what cost! The Sokovia accord were a fiasco, the avengers were ripped apart, his best friend was paralyzed, he had called a 15 year old boy to help in a dangerous battle and Rogers, this bastard, had hidden the murdered of his parents from him. When the thought of his parents came to his mind, he just started to replay the video in his head. The face of his mum, the distress and fear in her eyes. His father couldn't protect her. A knot started to build in his stomach. What if he couldn't protect Pepper neither? What if she ended up like his mum? A simple collateral damage. When this thought crossed his mind, he jerked his body in a sat down position all a sudden. His heart racing in his chest, waves of fear flooding in his body, his face covered in sweat. He was breathing heavily, trying to calm himself down. Pepper was the reason why he was agreed with the Sokovia accord in first place. When she left that day, saying that a break would do well on both of them, he hadn't know what to answer. With the Sokovia accord, he had wanted to show her that he could play with the rules, that he could be mature and less crazy. He wanted to win her back like that. But what now? How could he prove himself to her? He couldn't let go of the suit! What was he without the suit? A genius billionaire playboy philanthropist? No, he was just a selfish, egocentric arrogant asshole! He sighed deeply… _Are you incapable of letting go of your ego for one god damn second?_ Natasha was right! If at least he was not getting rid of the suit, he needed at least to let go of his ego for once and just come down to earth, come down to her…

Not very far from there, in another bed, Pepper Potts couldn't find sleep neither. She was also gazing at the ceiling, wondering how Tony was. It was killing her to know that he was suffering and that she was not there to help. _How can he be so stubborn?_ She wondered. The problem was not Iron Man, it was not the suit, but the man in the suit. Tony was just living to be Iron man and nothing more. Obsessed by protecting everyone and anyone. Where was she standing in all that? She was running his company and bringing him enough money to play with his toys but what else? Since the destruction of the Malibu mansion, their home had been the Avengers' compound, either in the New York tower or in the new facilities. She had begged for a house of their own back in LA but there was always a good reason why they had to delay. Tony was not stepping in the west coast anymore and she was spending her time between hotel around the SI quarter in LA and a compound of superheroes. She didn't mind the Avengers, she even helped a lot in so many way, but living with them on a daily basis was too much. Tony was living, eating, sleeping, and dreaming Avengers! Where was she in all that? Apparently nowhere as he didn't even try to convince her to stay when she said she was leaving. He was probably better without her! She sighed deeply… He was better without her and here she was, in another random hotel room, gazing at the ceiling, not able to find sleep because of him. _How pathetic?_

In the morning, she left the hotel to LaGuardia Airport. She barely slept the whole night and she was expected in a board meeting beginning of afternoon in the Stark Industries main office in Los Angeles. Her car stopped at the bottom of the SI jet. She started to walk to the jet when she caught sight of an outline at the bottom of the stairs. She didn't have to get closer to recognize who it was.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him when she was closed enough to be heard.

"I need to talk to you,"

"I don't have time! My plane is taking off in ten minutes."

"I thought with it being your plane and all that it would just wait for you." He smirked at her but she didn't loosen up at all.

"First it's not my plane, but the company plane. Second, unlike others CEOs, I do care about schedule. And last but not least, I'm respectful about the crew waiting for me, as well as the board of directors that are expecting me on time in LA."

He swallowed hard. That would be more difficult than he expected, "Come one Pepper, let's stop this game, we need to talk." He said on his most serious tone.

"I'm not playing any game Tony. That is your field. I do have a meeting in LA in less than 8 hours and I have no time to talk to you."

"Pep, please," he begged her while touching her forearm.

She gazed at his hand on her bare forearm, her eyes slowly getting up to look at him, her eyes crossing his eyes, eyes that she was carefully avoiding since the beginning. Her heart started racing in her chest. His touch, his chocolate brown eyes, his smell, everything was very intoxicating and she was trying hard to keep her composure. His face was full of bruises and it made her feel sick instantly. She couldn't help herself. Her right hand went up to his face and started to brush gently the bruises on his cheek.

"What did you do to yourself again," she said her voice filled with sadness. He leaned on her touch, his eyes pleading her for forgiveness. "You can't keep doing that to yourself, Tony." Her voice constricted with tears that were building up in her throat.

"Pepper," he said softly while trying to bring her in his embrace.

She removed her hand from his face and took a step backward, "No Tony! I can't keep going like that! I can't keep watching you destroying yourself like that." And on that, she turned and resumed her walk toward the plane. She was walking fast, climbing stairs one by one with her high black stilettoes, hoping that he wouldn't follow her, hoping that he wouldn't see the tears flooding on her face. Hoping that he wouldn't realize how sad and broken she was to see him like that. Hoping that he wouldn't realize how much she was scared for him, how much she wanted to hug him, how much she cared for him, how much she just… loved him!


End file.
